Odysseus Dreams a Decision
by Love telem
Summary: Odysseus must choose immortality or home through a dream/trick that Calypso sets up


Amanda Sturges  
  
English-Blue  
  
March 2, 2002  
  
With Odysseus now asleep in the cavern awaiting his long journey home that the gods have granted him, the lustrous Calypso called upon Prognosious, the eidolon seer. Prognosious is the spirit of a deceased prophet who has the power to see peoples' eidola. He goes into the dreams of broken men to tempt them with their ideal images. He is very powerful and can make a man change his mind about anything. He does that by entering the dream of the person then he finds the weak spot in their mind. He then opens this weak spot and makes the person think something is really happening when instead they are only dreaming.  
  
As Odysseus slept Prognosious appeared from the shadows of the dark night. His ghostly figure and blazing appearance nearly frightened the lustrous goddess. Prognosious listened attentively as Calypso explained point by point what she wanted of him. " All of the gods on Olympus are against men and immortals together, it has nothing to do with them wanting Odysseus home" the lustrous goddess raved. " I will show the all powerful Zeus how little power he has." " If Odysseus chooses to stay Zeus and the other gods can do nothing about it" she continued. "All I want from you Prognosious, is to show Odysseus what he really wants….immortality." The desperate nymph led the blazing spirit to the cavern where the broken Odysseus lay sleeping. The blazing spirit went through Odysseus's dream until he found his weak spot, the part that wanted the pain to be over, the part that wanted to be immortal.  
  
The unsuspecting Odysseus felt he was awake not realizing he was in a dream. He was reborn and had the glow of an immortal god; he had no pain or sorrow. He walked up the shore of the island, along the way he was breath taken by the beauty it held. It was as if he had never seen it before. For the first time there was no misery in his heart and inside he knew he was deathless like the all-powerful gods. There were animals that only the gods could create. The birds soared through the heavens and back with beauty and grace. The land was full of flowers that mortal men had never had the privilege to lay their eyes on. A warm forest surrounded a rushing waterfall that poured cool blue water. As he walked up the shore further he heard the nymph with lovely braids singing with the voice even the muses would be jealous of. He was enchanted by it and drawn towards her. When he approached, her beauty left him spellbound. They made a sacrifice to the gods on Olympus and ate their fill of whatever food they could imagine.  
  
Their appetites satisfied they engaged in conversation. "Odysseus my immortal love, have you no pain? Are you content here with me?" asked the lustrous goddess. " I have no pain and I'm more than content with you. You saved me from prolonged despair and for that I am grateful." He went on "Am I not in the most beautiful place on earth or the heavens, why would anyone be dissatisfied living here with you forever?" Calypso then questions "and have you any memory of your time spent before me." The great Odysseus replies " I only remember pain and nothing else, that you saved me from. Whatever life I had could not have been better than this."  
  
Back in the cavern the sleeping Odysseus awakens from his dream unaware of what is happening. Prognosious explains that what just happened was only an eidolon but can come true. Although the decision is up to Odysseus alone his small weak spot has now opened to almost a necessity for immortality, his heart longs for it. The cunning Odysseus knew the powers that Prognosious had, so his tricks were not as strong on Odysseus. It still remained that he had a difficult choice to make. As broken as the waves of the wine dark sea Odysseus had to choose a path: Either one that is straight and smooth like the waves leading straight to the shores of Calypso's isolated island where he would rise immortal like the beautiful goddess Aphrodite. Or complicated and chaotic like rushing waters in swirling whirlpools. Until the hardships finally seem to stop in his high roofed home in Ithaca where the seemingly calm water reflect like a mirror the pain, which must continue.  
  
"I'm immune to your tricks Calypso and I've heard of the mind power you have over men Prognosious." "I will not choose the easy route because any path without my family and my people who are like children to me is the wrong one." "My spirit may seemed crushed but I still hold onto the hope and determination of reaching my high roofed home in Ithaca once more." "Prognosious you have failed at your task so leave me be and Calypso you too have failed. The night is still young so I will go sleep until young dawn with her rose red fingers shines on this land once again, because tomorrow is day of hard work and the departure I've waited so long for." Odysseus returned to the cavern with a little more loyalty and determination than the broken man that cried on the beach. 


End file.
